


Money Can't Buy Happiness

by Amika (Aeiouna)



Category: Original Work
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-10-18
Updated: 2011-10-18
Packaged: 2018-01-08 04:25:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 724
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1128331
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aeiouna/pseuds/Amika





	Money Can't Buy Happiness

Mr. Jones wanted it to be a huge production. It was their first music video, the one where they show the world they were Boys Sensation and they were ready to bring it.

Luke was quick to point out that many popular groups go low budget until after they hit it big, because huge productions like that cost money that, to be honest, no one had quite yet. He even showed him videos that artists had done for their debut singles, and they were all low budget and simple. Nothing flashy, just the group and maybe some cool looking lighting, or a rain machine, or shooting in black and white.

Mr. Jones scoffed and shooed Luke away, like he had no intention to listen to Luke cause Luke was just a kid and didn't know what he was talking about (and the sad thing was that it was 100% true - not that Luke didn't know what he was talking about, but that Mr. Jones didn't think he did, and he wasn't going to listen to him.) He said he was going to make it work. He'd take a loan out if he had to, but they were going to go all the way.

And that is how the boys ended up on a soundstage with a crew big enough for an entire movie shoot, it seemed. Did they really need all of this? Mr. Jones seemed to think they did, because he had come up with the treatment for the video. (All of the boys' ideas were shunned on account of them being young, even if they had some pretty good ideas.)

It was to take place in the future. That's how the boys ended up in suits that lit up all around, almost like they were in TRON. (Nic totally geeked out at that one, he loved TRON.)

It was to take place on a space station. (Luke tried to point out that this concept was eerily similar to the Backstreet Boys' "Larger Than Life" video.) So came the fancy technology the boys had to learn to use (or, pretend to learn to use. The stuff would actually be added during post-processing.)

There was pyro.

There were strobe lights.

There were effects the boys didn't even know existed.

Nic laid down on the couch in the green room of the soundstage during their lunch break on day one. "Do you think Mr. Jones is taking this a little too seriously? I mean, it's our first video, and he's acting like we've already made it and can handle the big budget productions. I'm not so sure he knows what he's doing or talking about."

Dylan took a sandwich from the plate that was on the table beside him. "Yeah, I really don't think we're ready for the type of music video we're making right now. I mean, sure, he did pick 'Intergalactic Girlfriend' as our first single, but there are way more way he could have gone about it without spending so much money. I think he took our a loan for this one."

Even Aidan, who was usually all for everything Mr. Jones did (because it got the group success, which meant he got success, and if he brown nosed Mr. Jones enough, he could be the one suggested to go solo) nodded. "He's wasting so much money we could be using on promotion for the album, you know?"

"Exactly!" Nic sat up, "We could be spending that money on advertising for the album. Not making a music video we are clearly not ready for. But what can we do? It's not like he'll listen to any of us if we tell him that."

When the boys headed back onto the soundstage, they were less than enthusiastic, but they had to fake it. They pouted for the camera. They sang, they danced (and they even got the move where they finished and posed as the pyro went off in front of them right), they each flirted with and attempted to seduce the young actresses chosen to be their "intergalactic girlfriends," but they all knew their hearts weren't in it. They all knew that even with all the money spent on it, they wouldn't like this video, and they'd look back years later, after many albums, and wonder what the hell they were thinking.


End file.
